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Project A: Insights of an Operational VC

Start’HEC’s last planned company visit was to Project A Ventures, an early-stage fund founded in 2012 and headquartered in Berlin. Project A invests in entrepreneurs in diverse areas of e-commerce & marketplaces, infrastructure & data and software as a service.

We were welcomed by the New Business Analyst at Project A who quickly onboarded us onto the operational VC approach, focusing on the operational expertise that Project A provides to its startups in addition to funding. The expertise provided to its startups ranges from operational support in performance marketing, business intelligence, IT and Product to Organisation Building. However, the most crucial value-add comes in the form of networks gained by startups through Project A Ventures. One of the crucial factors that has been reiterated again and again at almost all of Start’HEC’s visits to VC firms is the importance of networks and warm introductions that play a key role in not only securing financing, but also knowledge-sharing. This is evidenced by the way Project A Ventures works as it has successfully supported the building of a wide portfolio of market-leading companies, and contributes actively to their sustainable success. It was interesting to view firsthand the support provided by VC firms to startups in building their core competencies, especially in core business areas and across different business models.

The visit ended with an open discussion with the HR on potential internship opportunities for HEC students, and the exchange of business cards.

Learn more about them by visting their website: https://www.project-a.com/en